Inhalator



INHALATOR Filed July 3, 1945 22 INVENTEIR 50mm V LIDHNSDN BY 5%. WW

ATTQRMgY ?atented Mar. 18,1947

INHALATOR Sonia V. Johnson, Milford, Conn. l-llpplication July 3, 1945, Serial No. 603,050

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to an inhalator for use in the treatment of various respiratory ailments, which are responsive to the effects of medicated steam or vapor, and has for an object to provide an inhalator which may be conveniently placed at any desired angle with respect to the patients face to most eiiectively direct the steam or vapor thereto. It is particularly proposed in the invention to provide an inhalator which will deliver steam or vapor to the patient, without danger of scalding, either due to a too direct and concentrated delivery of vapor or to depositing condensation upon the patient, and to this end, the invention comprises baflle means for retarding and distributing the flow of the steam or vapor from the vaporizer to the inhalator, and reservoir means within the inhalator to receive any condensation formed therein.

A further object is to provide means for returning the condensation collected within the inhalator to the reservoir of the vaporizer to which the inhalator is connected.

A further object is to provide an inhalator in general form of a cone, and wherein perforations are provided over a relatively large surface of its internal conical surface for the purpose of most eflectually directing the steam or vapor to the face of the patient.

With the above and other objects in view, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partially broken away, of the inhalator and the steam or vapor generating reservoir or vaporizer connected thereto.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and showing the inhalator in an angularly disposed operating position.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the inhalator, according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention, is connected to a steam or vapor generating reservoir or vaporizer Ill by a flexible hose ll, preferably of rubber, covered with a coiled metal sheath capable of being selfsustaining in any position of adjustment. The vaporizer is of any suitable type to generate steam or vapor, being illustrated as an electrically operated portable vaporizer. In practice, suitable volatile substances, such as, oil of turpen- 2 tine, tincture of benzoin, menthohcreosote, oil of eucalyptol, or other desirable medicinal substances may be added to water in the vaporizer for the purpose of being volatilize-d and distributed under pressure through the discharge a slightly tapered tubular extension l3 for insertion in the end of the flexible hose H, and constituting the inlet opening of the inhalator. The shell !2 has a relatively steep conical angle, as for instance of the order 40", and to its base edge there is secured an inner shell M- of truncated cone form and having its conical wall of a substantially flatter angle than the outer shell l2, as for instance of the order of 30. The flat top [5 of the inner shell is imperforate and is of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter ci'the inner end ofthe tubular extension I3, and constitutes abaffle directly in the path of the steam or vapor entering the inhalator from the flexible hose H. The two shells are rigidly connected together by a sealing joint, as for instance, by a rim flange l 6 of the inner shell spun inwardly upon the outer shell and brazed or otherwise suitably secured thereto to form a liquid tight sealed joint. The two shells constitute a double walled structure providing a chamber [l for receiving the steam or vapor from the vaporizer.

In surrounding relation to the imperforate baliie l5. and in upwardly spaced relation from the base of the inner shell I 1 there are provided a plurality of' openings is through which the steam or vapor distributed under pressure within the inhalator by the imperforate bailie I5 is directed outwardly into the conical cavity of the shell 14 and thence to the face of the patient. The hollow space of the chamber I! below the openings it constitutes a reservoir in which condensation forming within the inhalator is collected, the force. of the incoming steam or vapor distributed outwardlycby the baflie I5 causing it to flow down the inclined. walls of the shells so that it is efiectually prevented from being'discharged through the openings .13.

In operation, the steam. or vapor coming from the. vaporizer it through the hose ll enters the inhalator under such force as may be generated in the vaporizer and strikes: the baffle wall It, being thus distributed withinthe. inhalator under pressureand emerging through the openings 18 in the form of a widely distributed mass confined within the conical cavity of the shell l4 but directed as a converging cone toward the face of the patient as indicated by the dot-anddash lines in Fig. 2. The steam or vapor is thus prevented from being expelled in a concentrated mass to the face of the patient, and such as would occur in the absence of the baiile. This bafiling and distribution of the vapor also prevents excess condensation from falling on or being directed against the face of the patient, the condensation collecting in the reservoir in the lower portion of the chamber i7. From time to time the inhalator may be raised into an inverted position so that the condensation may flow back into the vaporizer through the hose H, and this operation may be quickly and conveniently carried out without appreciable interruption in thetreatment of the patient.

The inhalator apparatus of the invention read.- ily adapts itself to convenient use by the patient in any desired position, and it is especially efiective in a reclining or lying down position, as the full benefit of the steam or vapor may be directed to the patients face without the discomfort and inconvenience of the wet condensation, or the danger of scalding either from excess condensation or from a too concentrated mass of the vapor carried directly to the face.

Where the patient is unattended for an appreciable time, and is not capable of raising the inhalator into inverted position to return the condensation to the vaporizer, a condensation return tube 19, as shown in Fig. 1, may be connected between the vaporizer and a drain nipple 20 secured in the outer shell 12 below the level of the lowermost row of openings It, so that when the condensation collects in the chamber I! up to the level of the nipple it will flow automatically back to the vaporizer before it can reach the level of the openings I8. When it is not desired to use the automatic condensation return, the nipple 20 is closed by means of the cap 2|, as shown in Fig. 2.

The rim of the inhalator is preferably covered with a protective band 22 of rubber or the like, so that the inhalator may be placed in direct contact with the patient without discomfort from high temperature of the inhalator. It will be understood that this protective band may, if desired, be suitably shaped to fit the contour of the face.

The inhalator may be made in any suitable sizes, that is, it may be relatively small for local application to the nose and mouth, it may be relatively larger for directing vapor into an area about the patients face, or it may be substantially larger for directing vapor into a large room area, or into a tent, such as a croup tent. In the case of the small size inhalator, the vaporizer I may be of suitable small size to be placed upon a bedside table, while in the case of larger size inhalators, it may be of relatively large floor type.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it will be understood that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus'described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An inhalator comprising inner and outer walls forming a vapor receiving chamber between them, said outer wall having a vapor inlet opening, and said inner wall surrounding a vapor receiving and directing space open at its 4 outer end and having an imperforate bafiie portion directly opposed to said inlet opening to prevent direct access of vapor from said inlet opening to the central area of said space and a plurality of vapor outlet openings in outwardly spaced surrounding relation to said balile portion.

2. An inhalator comprising an inner cupshaped wall and an outer cup-shaped wall joined at its periphery to the periphery of said inner wall and surrounding said inner wall in outwardly spaced relation to form a vapor receiving chamber between them, said outer wall having a centrally disposed vapor inlet opening, and said inner wall surrounding a vapor receiving and directing space open at its outer end and having at its inner end a centrally disposed imperforate bafile portion directly opposed to said inlet opening to prevent direct access of vapor from said inlet opening to the central area of said space and a plurality of vapor outlet openings in outwardly spaced relation to said baffle portion.

3. An inhalator comprising an inner cupshaped wall and an outer cup-shaped wall joined at its periphery to the periphery of said inner wall and surrounding said inner wall in outwardly spaced relation to form a vapor receiving chamber between them, said outer wall having a centrally disposed vapor inlet opening, and said inner wall surrounding a vapor receiving and directing space open at its outer end and having at its inner end a centrally disposed imperforate bafile portion directly opposed to said inlet opening to prevent direct access of vapor from said inlet opening to the central area of said space and a plurality of vapor outlet openings in outwardly spaced relatively near proximity to said baffle portion and in upwardly spaced relatively for proximity to the joined peripheries of said inner and outer walls, said inner wall below said outlet openings being imperforate and constituting with said outer wall a condensation receiving reservoir.

4. An inhalator comprising inner and outer walls forming a vapor receiving chamber between them, said outer wall having a centrally disposed vapor inlet opening, and said inner wall being of truncated conical form and surrounding a vapor receiving and directing space open at its wide end, the flat top of said inner wall being imperforate and constituting a baffle directly opposed to said inlet opening to prevent direct access. of vapor from said inlet opening to the central area of said space and its conical sides having a plurality of vapor outlet openings.

5. An inhalator comprising a double shell having a vapor receiving chamber located between said shells, said shell comprising conical shaped members the conical sides of which are pitched at different angles, said conical shells being joined together at their outer peripheries, the outer shell having a vapor inlet opening at its apex portion, the inner shell being open at its wide end and closed at its apex portion to an extent at least equal to the diameter of said inlet opening to constitute a baffle directly opposed to said inlet opening and having vapor outlet openings in its sides.

6. An inhalator comprising an inner cupshaped wall and an outer cup-shaped wall joined at its periphery to the periphery of said inner wall and surrounding said inner wall in outwardly spaced relation to form a vapor receiving memer between them-{said outer wall having a centrally disposed vapor inlet opening, and vsaid inner wall surrounding a vapor receiving and directing space open at its outer end and having at its inner end a centrally disposed iinperforate baffle portion directly opposed to said inlet opening to prevent direct access of vapor from said inlet opening to the central area of said space, and a plurality of vapor outlet openings in outwardly spaced relatively near proximity to said baflle portion and in upwardly spaced relatively far proximity to the joined peripheries of said inner and outer walls, said inner wall below said outlet openings being imperforate and constituting with said outer wall a condensation receiving reservoir, and drainage outlet means in said outer wall below the level of said outlet openings in said inner Wall and in substantially spaced relation above the lower end of said condensation receiving reservoir.

SONJA V. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

